Name:
Picea rubens / Carex trisperma / Sphagnum spp. - Polytrichum spp. Forest
Reference:
Description:
This acidic conifer woodland swamp occurs on saturated and temporarily flooded organic soils in headwater basins of the Allegheny Mountains region of West Virginia, at elevations between 1000 and 1430 m. It is a small-patch community that occupies flat to very gently sloping land (0- to 2-degree slopes) along the margins of open peatlands, forming narrow "spits," fingers, or islands. It also occurs in peaty depressions within high plateau spruce forests. Microtopography is characterized by a mix of rounded peat hummocks and irregular moss-covered hummocks formed over tree roots, woody stem clusters, tip-up mounds, nurse logs, and decaying wood. Bedrock is typically sandstone or occasionally shale, and may be encountered at less than 20 cm depth. Soils are poorly drained muck, peat, or organic-rich silt/clay loam. Depth of organic soil varies greatly from 5-120 cm. Soil pH averages 3.5. The community is characterized by an open canopy of <i>Picea rubens</i> and fairly sparse shrub layer growing on irregular hummocks, with swales and hollows occupied by <i>Carex trisperma var. trisperma</i> and peat-forming bryophytes. Additional canopy species that occur occasionally include <i>Pinus strobus, Acer rubrum, Amelanchier laevis, Pinus rigida, Sorbus americana</i>, and <i>Betula alleghaniensis var. alleghaniensis</i>. The tall-shrub layer is also dominated by <i>Picea rubens</i> with occasional low cover by <i>Viburnum nudum var. cassinoides, Nemopanthus mucronatus</i>, and <i>Photinia melanocarpa</i>. The short-shrub layer includes <i>Picea rubens, Vaccinium myrtilloides</i>, and <i>Vaccinium angustifolium</i>. The herbaceous layer is dominated by <i>Carex trisperma var. trisperma</i> and may include low cover by <i>Rubus hispidus, Osmunda cinnamomea var. cinnamomea, Gaultheria hispidula, Vaccinium oxycoccos</i>, and <i>Carex debilis</i>. Nonvascular plants are dominated by <i>Sphagnum</i> spp. with lesser amounts of <i>Polytrichum</i> spp., <i>Hypnum imponens</i>, and <i>Leucobryum glaucum</i>. Mean species richness of all vascular plants and any nonvascular plants with cover >1% is 31 taxa per 400 square meters, with about 20% of the diversity occurring in the bryophyte layer.
Accession Code:
VB.CC.37505.CEGL006590
Plot-observations of this Community Concept:
7
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